Never Fails
by violetsunshine
Summary: Begins 3 months after Devil's Trap. Together Sam and the ghost of Dean hunt for the demon and a way to destroy it, along the way discovering that love knows no boundaries and Never Fails. Chapters 6 and 7 posted!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural.

This is my first attempt to write a story that will go on for a while. I've got a lot of ideas for this story and this is just the beginning. : )

**Never Fails**

_(Love) always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres._

_Love never fails._

_1 Corinthians 13:7-8_

Sam sat on the bed, his options spread before him. A sharpened knife to slit his wrists, a full bottle of Tylenol to swallow or a silver bullet to the head. He sighed and ran a hand through his shaggy chocolate brown hair and wished suddenly that he had learned more about suicide methods in his lifetime. Which way was the best? He tended to think the pills, which offered a romantic notion of going to sleep and never awakening. But then he thought the bullet because it was a gutsy approach, one that would leave blood splattered all over the rented room and the owners wishing they had never taken in the tall, thin, skeleton like man. He couldn't believe it. It was three months from the day his life changed irrevocably. Three months from the day he had awoken in the ICU heavily bandaged and medicated, and heard something he wished had never been uttered.

"Sammy…I'm sorry. Dean didn't…" His father's deep voice had broken along with Sam's heart. Three months from the day food had become an enemy, liquor a friend and his father a stranger. Dean lay in Lawrence, next to their mother and Sam lay in agony, twisting his fingers nervously. He picked up the polished gun and set it down again. Was it too morbid to use his brother's weapon? He shook the bottle of pills, hearing their chorus of loud clicks against the hard plastic. He picked up the knife and slid it back into his duffel bag. Blood wasn't really his thing and watching himself bleed to death didn't sound all that appealing. It would leave too much time for thinking and feeling. Those were the things he desperately wanted to stop doing. Thinking about Dean, how he wanted them to be a family again. Missing his laugh and even his crappy taste in music. Sam was ready for it to be over. No more nightmares, no more tears. He picked up the gun, raising it to his temple and shut his eyes, cocking it and ever so gently placing his finger on the trigger. He felt the cold metal pressing against his head and against his will a few tears escaped. He wiped them away angrily and clenched his jaw, set in his resolve. Then next to his left ear was a tickle of air and he could have sworn a whispered, "Boo."

Sam jumped off the bed, holding the gun out in front of him, breathing heavily.

"Who's there?" Only silence greeted his ears.

"Show yourself. Show yourself so I can send you back to Hell." Sam was not in the mood to deal with a restless motel spirit. Sam heard a quiet chuckle behind him and spun around to face…his brother? Dean raised his hands as if to surrender saying, "Easy there, Tiger."

Sam swallowed thickly, the gun still held before him. His head told him he wasn't real, but his heart leapt in joy.

"Who the Hell are you?" A look of confusion crossed Dean's face.

"Don't recognize your own brother, Sammy?"

"You're not my brother." Dean rolled his eyes.

"Sam, it's me. I promise." Sam didn't back down though.

"How can I be sure?" Dean frowned.

"Have I ever lied to you before?"

"Tell me something. Tell me something only he would know." Dean looked at him for a moment as if thinking, then a small smile played at his lips.

"When you have that vision of me dying back in Max's house, you moved a cabinet with your mind. Now, unless I'm mistaken, you never told Dad about that, did you?" Sam lowered the gun slightly.

"What's the rule in the car about music?" It was the only thing that came to Sam's mind, which was a little embarrassing. Dean was his brother after all, he should have some deep question about something really important, but his mind was an absolute blank. For God's sake, his dead brother was sitting across from him, his mind was a little preoccupied. Dean smiled.

"Driver picks the music, passenger shuts his cake-hole." Sam lowered the gun and against his will he smiled.

"If it's really you Dean, what are you doing here? I mean shouldn't you be chasing girls in Heaven or something?" Sam asked quietly.

"Unless you haven't noticed, you were about to off yourself, Sammy. With my gun no less. You think I could just stand by and let that happen?" Sam looked away.

"I just missed you." Sam sat down on the end of the bed and Dean joined him.

"Don't you think I missed you too? But it's not your time, little brother. You've got an important job to do, it isn't finished yet."

"Job? Don't tell me you mean hunting. It's not the same anymore." Dean shook his head.

"You've got to get the demon, Sam. You're the only one that can do it." Sam's face crumpled.

"I can't do it."

"It's up to you." The brothers sat quietly for a moment and Dean threw his arm casually around Sam's shoulders.

"You don't have to do it alone though. I'm going to help you." Sam looked up and studied Dean's eyes. He looked so real, so much like he was breathing, like his heart was beating.

"How can this be, Dean? I mean, how can you be here like this?"

"Sometimes exceptions can be made. I knew you needed help, in more ways than one." Sam's shoulders shook and he lay his head on Dean's shoulder. A real shoulder, a real shirt that Sam could feel softly on his cheek. How could it be?

"I'm going to help you. By the time I leave, the demon will be dead and you'll be back to normal, walking and talking and eating like the best of 'em." Sam shut his eyes, tears burning.

"I don't want you to leave again." He felt Dean stiffen.

"Come on, Sammy. You know I can't stay with you forever." And Sam cried.

Did you like it? Hate it? Would you like to see it continued? Let me know what you thought!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural.

Well…first of all let me say a big Thank You to: aRE-yOu-mY-mOTheR, Bethany16, rockchick900, Mishka89, Nate and Jake, teal-lover, Ani-maniac494 and Krystal-Gemini for reviewing the first chapter! THANK YOU! It has taken me a while to update this because I had so many ideas about where to take it I wasn't sure what to do next. But now I've sort of got my ideas worked out…sort of. : ) I'm sorry this chapter is so short but it's acting a little as a bridge to get things started. I will update again soon (much quicker than last time) and thank you for reading!

Never Fails Chapter Two 

Sam's eyelashes fluttered as sun danced across his eyes. He sat up still wearing his clothes from the day before and rubbed his neck. He yawned and glanced around the empty motel room before him. It had all been a dream, he knew it. He felt hot tears welling and sighed. He really was going crazy. He ran a hand through his hair and stood up, quickly beginning to throw his belongings together. It just seemed like time to move on. The room was eerie in its silence.

He drove aimlessly all roads leading to his unhappiness. The day passed and night fell heavily on Sam. He didn't want to stop driving. He had no where to go. The radio played softly and his eyelids drooped as he drove along the unlit stretch of back road.

"Hey!" Sam's eyes flew open at the yell and he pulled the car out of the opposite lane. He skidded to a stop along the shoulder, but refused to turn to look at his passenger.

"You were falling asleep there, kiddo." Dean grinned. Sam took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"You're not real. Please, whatever you are, please just go away." His voice cracked painfully and Dean sighed.

"Do you mean to tell me we have to go through this shit again? I'm me, Sam. I'm here to help you. I'm not some figment of your imagination, I'm not some evil spirit in disguise, it's me." Sam felt his heart twist.

"Dean, I've missed you so much. I just can't…" Sam felt a gentle hand on his arm.

"It's okay, Sammy."

The next day dawned on the reunited Winchester brothers still talking in the car by the side of the road. Most of it consisted of Sam vehemently denying the fact that he would track down the demon and Dean replying that he could and he would.

"It's up to you, kid. But you're going to have my help, I mean, together we can finish this."

"Why is it so important to you? It's already killed you, Dean." A sad look washed over Dean's face.

"Because Sammy, when this is over, it's really over. You could go back to school, you could get married, have a family, everything. You have a chance to have a normal life, you won't have to be a hunter anymore."

"Dean, I don't really have a problem being a hunter."

"I have a problem with it, okay? It's a dangerous job and you're working alone." Sam shook his head.

"If something happened to me, I'd just be with you, it would be alright." Dean's face twisted in anger.

"You have to stop thinking like that! You can't just get yourself killed over this, over me. How do you think that would make me feel?" Sam looked down at his hands and they sat in silence until his voice barely above a whisper, broke the silence.

"Have you seen them? Mom and…Jess?" Dean's reply was soft.

"Yeah. Yeah, I have." Sam turned to face him, his eyes hopeful.

"Is Jess okay? Is she happy?" And then in a quieter tone, "Does she hate me?"

"Of course not, Sammy. She's missed you a lot and uh, she's looked after you a lot this past year, too. She met Mom and both of them looked in on you, well on us. She's…she's happy." Sam nodded and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.

"So…what do you know about this demon? Do you know where it's at?" A grin slid across Dean's face.

"I thought you'd never ask."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural.

**Never Fails**

_Chapter 3 _

"This demon…it's a mean son of a bitch. It's ancient, Sammy. It's been wreaking havoc for years. It's incredibly strong and smart and it's going to be a hell of a fight." Sam nodded.

"Do you know what its plans are?"

"I figure it's just doing the same old shit and…" Sam cut him off.

"No, man I mean, back in the cabin it said it had plans for me…for all the children like me. Do you know what it meant?" Dean seemed to stiffen under his little brother's gaze.

"Hmm…no, I really don't know anything about that. He was probably just making stuff up Sam, you know?" Sam remained unconvinced though, and he was pretty sure Dean was hiding some information.

"Are you sure you don't have any idea what it was talking about?" Dean affixed a faux smile to his face and nodded.

"I'm positive."

Meanwhile hundreds of miles away, John Winchester stood outside the Lawrence cemetery, his hands full of flowers and his mind full of apologies. Working up his nerve, he slid past the heavy gates and strolled through the rows and rows of dark gray tombstones and statues of angels. He stopped as he came to a place he had often visited and now wished he was only here to see Mary. Instead his eyes lingered on the fresh polished stone beside hers. Reading the words "Dean Winchester" on that heavy stone scraped his heart from his chest leaving only the emptiness he had felt so clearly only once before. He laid half of the bouquet on his wife's grave and the other half on his son's. He stood there in silence until the sun began to drop below the tops of the trees and his face numbed from the cold. Before he left Mary and Dean he leaned down and spoke.

"Dean, I want you to know I'm sorry. I really am son. I'm going to find Sam and I'm going to try to put this family back in some kind of order…I just wish you were here with me." John paused and his eyes shined with wetness in the moonlight.

"I miss you, kiddo."

Sam unrolled the map, placing a knife on one side and a gun on the other.

"Okay… so you're sure about this?"

"I know without a doubt that the demon is in Gunlock, Utah." Sam nodded and began tracing potential routes with his finger. Dean watched his brother's face and cleared his throat.

"So…what's with you and Dad?" Sam looked up in confusion.

"Where'd that come from?" Dean shrugged.

"It's an obvious question, kid. Why were you alone in a hotel room getting ready to commit suicide with Dad no where in sight?" Sam turned his attention back to the map.

"You know Dad and I don't get along. After you…well, he wanted to get right back out there, searching for that thing and I couldn't. I just couldn't, I was too messed up and he didn't want to deal with me." Dean looked away.

"More like he didn't know how to deal with it. Dad is…"

"Dad is not like a regular father, Dean. He wasn't willing to help me when I needed his help the most." Dean nodded.

"I know Sammy but you're going to need him." Sam looked up angrily.

"Why would I need him? I never…" Dean cut him off with a raise of his hand.

"There will come a time, Sam. When I'm gone and the demon is gone, your life will be completely different. You can do whatever you want to, don't you want to have some contact with Dad?" Sam could only shake his head incredulously.

"We can't be a family, Dean! Not without you!" Dean opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by the quiet jangle of Sam's cell phone. Sam pulled it out of his pocket, glancing at the screen before throwing it to the table. He walked out of the dingy motel room slamming the door behind him. Dean sighed and looked over at the phone. The word "Dad" flashed across the screen a final time before the phone went silent. Dean wished for not the first or last time that he was alive.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural.

A/N: I am sorry there was such a long wait in between posts….thank you to the reviewers, especially Ani-maniac494 for taking the time to leave an encouraging note for every chapter :) I can't believe the premiere is tomorrow! It feels like I've been waiting forever…..

Never Fails

Chapter 4

Lightening flashed across the motel room, illuminating Sam's slightly wavering steps across the threshold. Rain pelted overhead and Dean sat unseen at the desk, watching his brother with slightly sympathetic and slightly angry eyes. It was a look only he could pull off. Sam collapsed soaked clothes and all to the lumpy bed and Dean sighed. He looked away but looked back as the sound of soft sobs escaped his little brother.

"Oh, geez." Dean whispered, closing his eyes for a second and then crossing the room.

"Sam?" Sam sniffled and looked up, hazel eyes red rimmed and bloodshot.

"Dean, I don't think this is going to work."

"What? What won't work?"

"You being here. It just…hurts too much to know that you're going to leave again." Sam said softly. Dean shook his head and ran a hand through his hair knowing the youngest Winchester would probably not remember anything he was saying since he smelled like a brewery.

"Don't you think that it's hard for me too? I mean I don't want to leave you alone, Sam. I want to know you're going to be safe and happy. I love you, little brother." Sam's only reply was a soft snore and Dean smiled.

Gunlock, Utah was an ordinary place with ordinary people. A small town where neighbors talked over coffee, children walked to parks and everyone knew everybody else's business. But one thing they would never expect was the true and pure evil that had come to rest within their midst, as a stranger with golden eyes silently watched the clock waiting for the perfect time to reveal himself.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural.

Never Fails

Chapter Five

The morning began with a drowsy Sam fighting to keep his eyes open as he sped down the road to Utah. His alcohol-induced slumber had been empty and dreamless, the only kind of sleep he could bear. His gas station coffee was cold and bitter but he drank it. His clothes were dirty and his hair stuck out at odd angles. It had been a strange morning. When he finally awoke, Dean was gone and hadn't reappeared, and for some reason Sam was on fire for finding the demon. It had somehow consumed his thoughts while he slept and now he wanted revenge more than he ever had before. The damn demon was going to pay for what it had done to his family. For what it had destroyed inside him. For his mother, for Jess and for Dean. For everything. The colt lay in the passenger seat and Sam's knuckles turned white against the leather steering wheel. For the first time in months he felt something besides unspeakable grief. Anger.

Later that night Sam lay awake in the small Gunlock Hotel. His burning anger had been replaced with a new emotion. He was frightened. Here he was in a town holding the most horrifying evil thing he had ever known. And he was supposed to destroy it. All he could do was take deep breaths and feel his heart race beneath the thin comforter. His eyes wouldn't close but he needed sleep and—

Knock 

Sam sat up in bed, his mind whirling with the worst possible scenario. The demon had found him and was here to finish what it started in the cabin.

Knock Knock 

He jumped out of the bed, fingers wrapped around the colt, heart pounding out of his chest and whispered,

"Who is it?"

"It's your father." The voice was gravelly but easily recognizable. Sam dropped the gun but then paused and said to the empty room,

"Dean? Dean please I have to know if that's really Dad." But the room remained silent and Sam sighed and undid the chain lock. John Winchester stepped inside shaking out his coat and shut the door behind him finally raising his green eyes to his son's. He offered a slight smile and said,

"Hey Sammy."

"Is that all you can say?" John's eyes fell to the dark carpet and he cleared his throat.

"I know things haven't been right Sammy but I'm here now. I want us to face this together."

"Face what? The demon? Because I seem to remember that night in Salvation Dean and I were left alone to finish it."

"The demon but also this life, Sam. A life…without your brother." Sam sighed and sat on the bed, a bitter smile across his face.

"You don't know what this has been like." John twisted around anger lighting his eyes.

"What is that supposed to mean? You think I didn't love your brother just as much as you did? That I don't miss him? That I don't regret things that I've done? Well I'm sorry son but you're damn wrong." Sam could only shake his head.

"You didn't stay with me, you didn't help me Dad. Do you know I almost killed myself? And where were you? Where you've always been…somewhere else." John's eyes shimmered and he looked away.

"Don't ever do that, Sammy. Without you…. I'd be all that's left."

"Yeah well, without Dean that's how I feel." John ran a hand over his face and swallowed thickly.

"I'm so sorry, Sam. There's nothing more I can say. I regret some of the choices that I made with you boys. I should have been a better father but…this is our chance, son. We can finally be what we should have been all along."

"We'll never be a family without Dean. You can have all the chances you want, Dad but we know how it always ends. You walk away." John nodded.

"Well this time, I'm cutting my legs out from under me Sam. I'm never walking away." John crossed the room and closed the bathroom door leaving Sam where he sat. Sam closed his eyes and leaned back onto the bed saying to himself,

"This time you'll run."


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural.

Note: I am so sorry this story was abandoned for a time! Work/school has been hectic but that is no excuse. The story will be finished, and hopefully there will be no more long waits between updates. This chapter is short but seven turned out rather well so…please enjoy: )

**Never Fails**

Chapter Six

The next morning Sam awoke to find Dean sitting on the end of the bed. He yawned and started to sit up.

"Dean? Where…?"

"I found the demon."

* * *

It was a gray house with a burgundy door. The lawn was manicured, bright and green, pansies lining the walkway. The family inside was happy, never guessing they had been marked by an unspeakable evil. That a creature with golden eyes had picked their six month old as part of a plan, that they were in considerable danger. Sam sighed drumming his fingers along the steering wheel.

"So where's Dad?" Dean asked quietly.

"Don't know." Sam shook his head slightly. "He said he wants us to be a family again." Dean looked up, his face awash with a mixture of surprise and happiness.

"That's great."

"No, it's not, Dean. I mean what the hell? Why couldn't he have felt that way when we were kids, when this all could have been different? It's just…It's never going to work that well between Dad and I. All we do is fight and screw everything up. It'll never be the way you and I…" Sam drifted off as a woman left the house, a baby carrier and diaper bag in tow. He could see her talking softly to the baby as she strapped it into the back of her silver car and for a moment he was struck by thoughts of his own mother. When he was still a little boy Dean would always tell him about her, how much fun she was and how beautiful. But Sam had no memory of her at all. Just a few pictures and hand-me-down memories from his father and brother.

"Earth to Sam… are we going to check out this house or not?" Dean's voice cut into his thoughts.

"Yeah."

* * *

The décor of the home was nice and simple. The baby's room was light yellow with white wainscoting. Tiny ducks and flowers danced around the top of the room on a pale border. Standing in the infant's room Sam was filled with the sick feeling of dread. He couldn't explain it but he could feel the demon. It had walked these halls before and it would walk them again. Only this time, the Winchesters would be there to stop it. 


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural.

Note: For some reason I absolutely love this chapter! It turned out better than I was hoping for. This story is taking a while but have no fear…it will be completed! Please enjoy :)

**Never Fails**

Chapter Seven

Sam entered the hotel room to find his father pacing up and down the small space.

"Where have you been?" He asked angrily.

"Getting a lead on the demon. Where have you been?" John shook his head.

"We're supposed to be working on this together, Samuel." Sam's face crumpled in disgust.

"Don't give me that crap. Are you going to try to tell me that you weren't out hunting for it alone this morning while I was still asleep?" His father sat down on the bed.

"Yes, Sam I did go looking, you need your rest. Look at you! You're killing yourself." Sam said nothing, his arms crossed against his chest. Finally he asked,

"Well? Did you find it?" John looked away, but the smugness still escaped in his voice.

"Yeah, yeah I did." Sam's eyebrows raised in surprise, a faint smile crossing his face.

"Really? Care to say where?"

"It's going to strike tonight, over on East Edenburg Street. But, Sam we're going to do this together, okay?" Sam erupted in loud laughter.

"Good luck with that when you're going to be at the wrong house." John's eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Excuse me?" Sam continued shaking his head, chuckling lightly.

"The greatest hunter ever, my ass. I know where the demon will be, I've already scoped the house and the family and you're so far off base, it's ridiculous."

"How the hell could you have the right house and I don't?"

"Trust me, it's the right one." John jumped up, jabbing his finger at Sam's chest.

"I believe you're the one who always wants to know where I get my answers. How do you know that's the house?"

"I know!" Father and son were now yelling loud enough for the manager to hear them.

"How?!"

"Because Dean told me!" John stepped back and Sam looked away. Silence swallowed them.

"What did you say?"

"He told me." Sam whispered, sitting down against the dark paneling. John ran a hand across his face, taking a deep breath.

"When did he tell you this, Sammy?" Sam didn't even realize he was crying until he felt wetness on his shirt, coursing down his face.

"He took me to the house, Dad, this morning. I've seen him a couple times before that. He says he's here to help me. To help me finish this." John clenched his jaw.

"It's not really Dean, Sam. There's no way it's possible. He was cremated. He can't come back. Maybe…maybe we should get you checked out." Sam looked up in disbelief.

"You of all people should believe me." He choked out. He pushed at his tears angrily.

"It's not like he's some vengeful spirit, Dad. He said that sometime exceptions could be made. That if someone really needs help…and I needed it." Sam looked up at his father, eyes red and wet. "He stopped me. He saved me." He looked back down at his hands and took a shaky breath. John sat down across from him, leaning against the side of the bed.

"If he's here, why can't I see him? Why doesn't he talk to me?" The raw pain in John's voice was somewhat surprising. Somehow it had been easy to forget their father cared about them.

"I don't know. Maybe he will talk to you. Maybe now's just not the time, you know?" John nodded, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"I miss him, Sammy. I miss him so much."

"Me too, Dad. Me too." They sat together in silence for a while both thinking of the one person who should have been there beside them. Then it was time to get to work, the sun was falling and fading into night. The night would bring with it a war…and an end.


End file.
